Preparation of new ultra-resistant composites reinforced with TMDs or Mxenos obtained at low temperature by Spark Plasma Sintering and cold sintering-Ceram2D

Premature wear of components and equipment poses a problem for industry, as corrective maintenance is required and impacts production and companies’ finances. Consequently, research focuses on identifying new materials with the necessary performance characteristics to extend the service life of equipment, requiring materials with good tribological properties, excellent mechanical strength, and high thermal conductivity.

Accordingly, the research proposed in this project focuses on the development of new nanostructured ceramic-ceramic and ceramic-metal materials based on transition metals in the form of dichalcogenides (TMDs) or Mxenos. To this end, advanced synthesis techniques such as the hydrothermal route or colloidal synthesis will be employed to overcome the limitations, in terms of homogeneity, of the conventional powder mixing technique. The powders of the designed composite materials will subsequently be densified using advanced sintering techniques, such as Spark Plasma Sintering, Cold Sintering or microwave sintering, which enable low-temperature sintering conditions over short timeframes. This can lead to increased productivity and reduced energy consumption in the manufacturing process, without compromising the final properties of the manufactured materials.

CINN’s Research

CINN will carry out sub-project 2, which focuses on the study of unconventional synthesis processes based on the colloidal route or hydrothermal synthesis, enabling the production of powders of controlled purity and size within the copper-TMDs (MoS₂ or WS₂) or copper-Mxene (Mo and W carbides) systems for ceramic-metal and (ZnO and Al₂O₃)-TMDs for ceramic-ceramic composites. These powdered materials will subsequently be sintered at low temperatures using spark plasma sintering or cold sintering, incorporating, in some cases, graphene oxide or reduced graphene.